Parvati Sharma’s novel is a subtle tale that makes sharp points about society
In the four years that it took Parvati to write the book, it went through six rewrites, and the narrative changed considerably with each rewrite. "The characters stayed the same but several ‘extras' were killed. The structure of the story changed
Hyderabad: One of the most authentic voices in Indian literature, of late”, “rare promise”, the reviews of Delhi-based writer Parvati Sharma’s new novel, Close To Home, have been effusive, and the praise is well-deserved. Four years after her collection of short stories (The Dead Camel and Other Stories of Love) was published, Parvati is back with this novel: an intimate glimpse into the life of the young, charming, insular and self-centered Mrinalini, her almost-dalliance with her intense roommate Jahanara, and marriage to her socially acceptable beau Siddhartha. It’s an elegant, subtle tale that makes some sharp points about a certain section of society.
Having previously written only short stories and poetry, Parvati says working on a full-length novel (even a slim one like Close To Home) was an altogether different experience. “The nice thing about short stories is that the payoff is far quicker you can finish one in a month, week or even a day and you know immediately, either the story works or it doesn’t and you move on to the next,” she says. “With a novel, I spent the first two years just figuring out the characters and the plot whether it was even a plot! And it is so frustrating, because you’ve already spent two years on something so you can’t just abandon it.”
In the four years that it took Parvati to write the book, it went through six rewrites, and the narrative changed considerably with each rewrite. “The characters stayed the same but several ‘extras’ were killed. The structure of the story changed completely, to give it more momentum. There was a time when I was just taking printouts of all the scenes and positioning them in different ways to see how they would read,” Parvati says.
By the time she reached journey’s end, Parvati admits that she couldn’t even bear to look at the book. “It was an absolute pain! I had a printout that I had to send to (the team at) Zubaan and I couldn’t bear to put it in an envelope and send it across,” she says, before adding that now that it has been published, the book does make her happy.
What must also make her happy is the glowing praise Close To Home has received from all quarters. After spending her summer holidays during school, scribbling away at stories that were abandoned when it was time for the new academic term, to having authored two highly lauded books she’s living the dream of many an aspiring writer.
Parvati says her love for writing is an extension of her love for reading. “I’ve loved reading from as far back as I can remember. My parents are great readers; when we were kids, my father would take us to the Daryaganj book market every Sunday and we could buy whatever we wanted. Reading constantly and with books everywhere in the house, it was natural to feel what if I could write one?” Parvati explains.
Today, she writes on the four days she has free in the week, from her job as a consultant with a publishing house. She keeps her writing within “work hours” no very late nights and no very early mornings for her, Parvati says. “I am very lazy, I have to make myself write,” she adds. “But writing is just like any other muscle you have to exercise it.”
Up next is a children’s book on the life of the Mughal emperor Babur, and (unlike with Close To Home) Parvati says she is really enjoying working on it. “Writing for kids, you really have to cut away all the fluff, you can’t be self-indulgent in any way,” she says. “You have to amuse and entertain.”
( Source : dc )
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